Automatic ladling device



1968 G. LAUTERJUNG v 3,398,782

AUTOMATIC LADLING DEVICE Filed March 1, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR: Gaslay Zaazeg'an BY e. LAUTERJUNG 3,398,782

AUTOMATIC LADLING DEVICE Filed March 1, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR: G'wlav [date-174mg,

M"; Memo 7, 1968 G. LAUTERJUNG 3,398,782 I AUTOMATI C LADLING DEVICE Filed March 1, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet I5 INVENTOR. 'uaav AUTOMATI C LADLING DEVI CE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 1, 1965 INVENTOR. 62 ,12 [anteury,

United States Patent 9 AUTOMATIC LADLING DEVICE Gustav Lauterjung, Schloss Str. 18,

Solingen-Wald, Germany Filed Mar. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 436,258

Claims priority, application Germany, Feb. 28, 1964,

L 47,167; Aug. 11, 1964, L 48,513

1 Claim. (Cl. 164-336) The invention relates to metal casting, and relates more particularly to mold casting of aluminum. Still more particularly, the invention relates to automatic ladling of metal from a molten metal bath into the mold.

It is among the principal objects of the invention to provide an automatic ladling device that is simple to manufacture, inexpensive in operation, and easily adjustable to compensate for the gradually sinking metal level in the holding furnace.

It is another object .of the invention to provide such a ladling device with a ladle that dispenses with the heretofore customary troublesome ladle closure.

It is a further object of the invention to provide for suspension of the tiltable ladle from a movable support, and to control it in accordance with the position of the metal level in the holding furnace.

It is another object of the invention to provide for means for tilting the ladle between a first position wherein it either receives or discharges metal, and a second position at an angle thereto in which the ladle transports the metal.

It is yet another object to provide such a ladling device in which the tilting of the ladle is controlled by cam and cam follower means. It is yet a further object of the invention to provide for such cam and cam follower means which include an adjustably positionable cam follower sleeve that may be positioned in accordance with the momentary position of the metal level in the holding furnace.

It is still another object of the invention to provide for a carriage that carries the support for the ladle, and that can move between the holding furnace and the mold and can raise and lower the ladle.

With the above and other objects of the invention in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of various devices, elements and parts, as set forth in the claim hereof, certain embodiments of the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the specification.

In the accompanying drawings,

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing a ladling device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, in operation between a holding crucible and a mold;

FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a detail thereof;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of another detail thereof;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary end elevational view of portions of the device;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing another detail;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view, partly in section similar to FIG. 1, but embodying a modification;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view of a portion thereof;

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of the detail of FIG. 8, partly in section;

FIG. 10 is an elevational view of a first embodiment of a ladle in the receiving and discharging position;

FIG. 11 is an elevational view, similar to FIG. 10, but showing the ladle thereof in the transporting position;

FIG. 12 is an end elevational view of the ladle in the position of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of a modified ladle in the transporting position;

3,398,782 Patented Aug. 27, 1968 FIG. 14 is a sectional view of the ladle of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a large scale sectional view, taken on the line XV-XV of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 16.shows a further modified ladle.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is provided a mold casting machine 1, and at a distance therefrom a holding furnace, such as a holding crucible 2 that holds molten metal 17, such as aluminum.

A guiding frame 3 is provided above the mold 1 and the crucible 2, and is supported by legs 5 and suspension members 4.

A carriage 6 is mounted on the frame 3 and is movable thereon horizontally in opposite directions between a position above the mold 1 and a position above the crucible 2. The carriage 6 comprises a support for the suspension of a ladle 8. This support includes a tubular part 24 that is mounted vertically immovably on the carriage 6, and a vertically movable hollow tube 7 that suspends the ladle 8 tiltably. The tube 7 is telescopically guided inside the tubular part 24 for vertical movement relative to the carriage 6.

The ladle 8 is tiltable between a first position of receiving and discharging metal, shown in FIGS. 1, 5, 10 and 12, and a second position at an angle thereto for transporting metal, as best shown in FIG. 11. In the first, the metal exchange, position the ladle 8 is dipped into the crucible 2 to receive the metal, and also in the first position it discharges the metal above the mold reception aperture 28 (FIG. 1).

The tube 7 may be raised and lowered, for instance, with the aid of a motor 9 that is mounted on the carriage 6. The motor 9 drives a chain 10 (FIG. 2) which, in turn, drives a shaft 11 that drives, by means of a worm gearing 12, a drive gear 13. The gear 13 meshes with a toothing (not shown in detail) that is formed on the tube 7.

A float 15 is carried by a linkage 14 and is therewith connected to the tube 7.

When the tube 7 is lowered, there will thereby be lowered the ladle 8, and there will thereby also be lowered the float 15 and the linkage 14 thereof. As soon as during this descent the float 15 makes contact with the level of the molten metal 17, the linkage 14 will operate a switch 16 that is mounted on the tube 7, and operation of the switch will arrest the descent of the tube 7, for instance, by de-energizing the motor 9.

In order to tilt the ladle 8, there is provided inside the tube 7 a rotatable shaft 18 (FIG. 5). The shaft 18 extends from its lower end adjacent the ladle 8 upwardly through the tube 7, the vertically immovable tubular part 24, and upwardly beyond the same, into a prolongation 23 that is secured to the part 24, as will be explained later on.

Near the lower end, the shaft 18 carries a bevel gear 19 that meshes with a bevel gear 20 (see FIGS. 5 and 12) and which is operable to tilt the ladle 8 about its fulcrum.

The ladle 8 has a bottom opening 8a for the entering, and the discharge, of the molten metal, and has a top opening 8b which is substantially diametrically oppositely arranged relative to the bottom opening 8a. The openings 8a and 81), however, differ from each other in shape and size. In the aforesaid first or metal exchange position (FIG. 10), the bottom opening 8a is disposed lowermost: on the ladle 8 to receive and, respectively, to discharge molten metal. In the second or metal carrying position (FIG. 11), however, the opening 8a is tilted to a higher position, permitting the carrying and transporting of the molten metal by the ladle 8.

By turning the shaft 18, the ladle 8 may thus be tilted, whereby the bottom opening 8a may be shifted between the metal exchange position (FIG. 10) and the metal carrying position (FIG. 11).

Means are provided, such as cam and cam follower J) means for turning the shaft 18 and thereby for controlling the tilting of the ladle 8. The cam and cam follower means comprise a pin 21 (FIG. 1) that is formed near the upper end of the shaft 18, a slot 22 for the pin 21, that is formed in the tubular prolongation 23 (FIG. 4) that is secured (FIG. 1) to and vertically immovable with the tubular part 24; and, lastly, the slot 26 for the pin 21 of a sleeve (FIG. 3) that is adjustable by means of magnets 27 (FIG. 1) on the tubular prolongation 23.

The slots 26 and 22 of the sleeve 25 and the prolongation 23, respectively, are similar, and may be aligned, along their upper portions 22a and 26a, respectively, and may be aligned along their middle portions. The lower portion 22b of the slot 22, however, is widened, while the lower portion 26b of the slot 26 is bent oppositely relative to the bend of the upper portion 26a.

As best shown in FIG. 1, the pin 21 projects through the slots 22 and 26.

The tubular part 24 is carried by the carriage 6 and partakes in the horizontal movement thereof, while it is immovable in the vertical direction. The prolongation 23 is secured to the tubular part 24 and, like the tubular part 24, is immovable in the vertical direction. The sleeve 25 is adjustably positioned on the tubular prolongation 23, by means of the magnets 27, and may be positioned in accordance with the momentary level of the metal 17 in the crucible 2.

The sleeve 25 is, of course, non-rotatably mounted on the tubular prolongation 23, though it is axially movable thereon. When the tube 7 with the ladle 8 thereon is lowered, the pin 21 of the shaft 18 first passes through the inclined section of the upper end 22a of the slot 22 of the tubular prolongation 23, and thereby at the same time through the corresponding inclined section 26a of the upper end of the slot of the sleeve 25. From the guidance of the pin 21 by these inclined sections, there will result a rotation of the shaft 18 and thereby of the ladle 8, so that the two openings 8a and 8b are disposed opposite each other substantially horizontally. In this first ladle position, the ladle 8 is moved from the position above the mold (in broken lines, FIG. 1) down and over into the position shown in broken lines on the right hand side of FIG. 1. During this movement, the sleeve 25 will slide downwardly along the tubular prolongation 23. In order to tilt the ladle 8 from the aforesaid first horizontal tilted metal carrying position into the second, metal interchange, position at which the metal interchange opening 8a is positioned downwardly (as shown in solid lines on the right hand side in FIG. 1), the sleeve 25 will be held by means of the magnets 27 on the tubular prolongation 23, so that during a continuous downward movement of the tube 7 the pin 21 will enter into the inclined section 26b of the slot of the sleeve 25. As this inclined en'd 26b of the slot 26 is disposed within the region of the lower widened portion 22b of the slot 22 of the tubular prolongation 23, however, the pin 21 can carry out the rotational movement through which it is guided by the end 26b of the slot 26, and thereby will rotate the shaft 18 oppositely .as compared to the preceding rotation when the pin was in the inclined section 22a. The movability of the sleeve 25, and the arrangement of the mag-nets 27 afford the possibility to position the sleeve 25 selectively, and thereby to determine the instant in which the ladle 8 will be tilted from the first horizontal metal carrying position into the second metal interchange position; this affords the advantage of adjusting the instant of this tilting in line with the changed level of the molten metal in the crucible 2.

As shown in the left side of FIG. 1, the ladle 8 with its bottom opening 8a is above the receiving aperture or pouring gate 28 of the mold 1, for the discharge of the molten metal of the ladle 8 into the mold. As shown in FIG. 1, the instant arrangement is such that the pouring gate 28 of the mold 1 is positioned higher than the crucible 2. After the discharge of the metal into the mold 1, the ladle 8 will therefore need not only be moved horizontally but also be lowered.

By means of a timer (not shown) the motor 9 will after the aforesaid discharge lower the tube 7; at the same time, however, the carriage 6 will be moved to the right (FIG. 1). The simultaneous movement is accomplished, for instance, by a gearing which includes a shaft 29 (FIG. 2) that carries a gear 30 that meshes with the external toothing of the tube 7. The shaft 29 moreover carries a pinion 31 that meshes with a horizontal rack 32.

By the downward movement of the tube 7, the carriage 6 will thus be moved to the right, so that the ladle 8 will move along an inclined path in the direction opposite to that described by the arrows 33 (FIG. 1) until the ladle 8 will be disposed above the crucible 2.

During the descent of the tube 7, there descended also the shaft 18 and with it its pin 21, and the pin 21 has moved from the upper slot portions 22a and 26a, respectively, into the middle portions of the slots 22 and 26, respectively. By this movement of the pin 21, the ladle 8 will have been moved from the metal exchange position (FIG. 10) into the metal carrying position (FIG. 11).

When the carriage 6 has reached its rightmost position (FIG. 1), the cam follower pin 21, during the continued descent of the tube 7, will follow the lower portion 26b of the cam slot 26; and thereby will return the ladle again into the metal exchange position, so that the ladle can be filled with molten metal 17 when it is partially immersed into the metal bath.

In the modification of FIGS. 7-9, there is also provided a frame 3 on which there is moving a carriage 6a. The tubular part 24a, similar to the part 24, is secured vertically immovably to the carriage 6a. In the tubular part 24 there is again vertically movably guided a tube 7a that suspends the tiltable ladle 80.

Moving means are provided for raising and lowering the tube 7a, and for moving back and forth horizontally the carriage 6a. The moving means comprise a chain 35 (FIG. 7) which is driven, by means of a transmission gearing, by the motor 9a. A chain wheel 36 is mounted on the frame 3, and bends the chain 35 vertically downwardly in a direction parallel to the tube 711.

A bolt 37 (FIG. 15) is mounted on that part of the tube 7a which remains at all times inside the tubular part 2411 and projects therefrom horizontally through a slot 24b of the tubular part 24a to the exterior thereof where It is connected to the chain 35. 1 Below the plane of the lower end of the slot 24b there 1s mounted on the frame 3 another chain wheel 38 which bends the chain 35 upwardly from where it proceeds to another chain wheel 39 that is also mounted on the frame 3, and thence to a chain wheel 40 also mounted on the frame 3 and to the motor wheel 41 of the frame 3.

In FIG. 7 there is shown in solid lines the lowermost position of the ladle 8c. If the ladle 8c is to be brought to a position above the pouring gate 28 of the mold 1, the motor 9a will be so operated that that part of the chain 35 which is above the frame 3 will move to the left (FIG. 7). By this movement the chain 35 will first raise the bolt 37 in the slot 24b until it abuts against the upper end of the slot 24b. Thereafter, the continued movement of the chain 35 will cause horizontal movement, to the left (FIG. 7), of the carriage 6a in the direction of the arrows 33 until the ladle 8c is disposed above the pouring gate 28 (as indicated in broken lines in FIG. 7).

For tilting the ladle 8c, the modification of FIGS. 7-9 provides for a separate driving motor 42 which, through meshing gears 43 and 44 drives a shaft 18a that is rotatable inside the tube 7a. In the vertical terminal positions of the ladle 8c, the motor 42 will be activated, so that the ladle 8c will be turned into the metal exchange position (FIGS. 8, 9). In that position the bottom opening 8a of the ladle '80 forms the lowest part of the ladle. The remainder of the tilting phases of the ladle 80, during its receiving-transporting-discharge-return-cycle is as previously described in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 16.

To keep the height of the equipment at a minimum, the tube 7 does not only slide in the tubular part 24a, but the shaft 18a itself is formed of two telescoping par-ts (FIGS. 8, 15), namely a solid upper inner shaft part 18a and a hollow lower outer shaft part 18b that moves up over the upper shaft part 18a when the tube 7a is raised.

The ladle itself is formed as a body that is closed all around save for the two opposite openings 8a and 8b. The ladle 8 of FIGS. 1-6 and 10-12 has previously been described in detail. It has a shaft 33 about which the body of the ladle 8 is tilted, and the shaft 33 is journalled in a console 34 that is mounted on the tube 7.

The shaft 33 carries the gear 20 which is driven by the gear 19 from the shaft 18, when the shaft 18 is turned. The gears 19 and 20 are disposed outside the ladle 8, as best shown in FIG. 12.

Also the ladle 8c of the modification of FIGS. 7-9, 13 and 14 has two substantially diametrically opposite openings 8a and 8b which, however, are somewhat different from those of the ladle 8 of FIGS. 10-12. The shaft 18b, however, carries a gear 19 that reaches into the opening 8b and meshes therein with a rack segment 20a that is formed on the interior of the ladle 80.

As previously indicated, the openings 8a and 8b differ in size and shape, the upper opening 8b preferably being larger than the bottom opening 8a. If it is desired to empty the ladle rapidly, it may be tilted from the carrying position (FIG. 11) into a rapid discharge position at which the large opening 8b faces downwardly.

Where the pouring gate 28 of the mold is particularly wide, or several pouring gates thereof are arranged side by side the ladle, as best shown in FIG. 16, may be shaped cylindrically and be provided with a plurality of pouring openings adjacent each other in axial directions, in order to speed up the filling of the mold.

It is furthermore possible to arrest the ladle descent by means of a programmed control rather than by means of the aforesaid float; the descent will need to be increased for corresponding increments at succeeding ladling cycles in accordance with the amount of preceding fillings of the ladle and the corresponding sinking of the level of the molten metal 17.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In an automatic ladling device, for use in transferring molten metal from a metal bath in a holding vessel to a mold disposed at a distance from said holding vessel and at a different elevation from the level of the bath in said holding vessel, the combination of a frame, a ladle, transport means for said ladle comprising a support horizontally movable on said frame for transporting said ladle between said bath and mold, a vertically movable lower portion, said ladle being tiltably connected to said lower portion of said vertically movable tubular part, said lad-1e including a closed hollow body having a metal interchange opening and another opening opposite thereto, said openings remaining open at all times, moving means operable for raising and lowering said tubular part and therewith said ladle and being operative for lowering said ladle into said metal bath, said ladle at least during a part of its descent into said metal bath being in a first tilted position for metal carrying wherein said openings are disposed opposite each other substantially horizontally, control means comprising a float connected to said tubular part and being operable to make contact during its descent with the level of said molten metal in said metal bath and thereupon to de-energize said motor for halting said lowering movement, and tilting means being operable for tilting said ladle between said first tilted position and a second tilted position, for metal interchange, at about right angles to said first tilted position and in which the metal interchange opening is positioned downwardly, said tilting means including a shaft vertically movable with, but rotatable relative to, said tubular part, gearing between the lower portion of said shaft and said ladle, a tubular prolongation supported from said support and being relative thereto non-rotatable and immovable vertically and surrounding the upper portion of said shaft and having a first cam slot including an upper narrow portion and a lower wide portion, a sleeve surrounding said tubular prolongation and being axially movable, though non-rotatable, relative thereto and having a second cam slot including a narrow upper portion similar to that of said first cam slot and a lower narrow portion, said shaft including a cam follower pin protruding simultaneously through both said cam slots, said second cam slot of said sleeve including near the bottom of the narrow portion an inclined section, and magnets positioning adjustably said sleeve on said tubular prolongation operable for placing the inclined section of said second slot of said sleeve in front of a selected part of said wide portion of said first slot of said tubular prolongation for determining the instant of tilting of said ladle from said first to said second, metal interchange, position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 521,519 6/1894 Adams 222 564,770 7/1896 Aiken 214-715 733,701 7/ 1903 Dalton 222-520 1,811,055 6/1931 Kravich 222166 1,848,249 3/1932 Goldberg 222-168 2,611,939 9/1952 Kux 21241 3,157,923 11/1964 Hodler 164-337 1,602,987 10/ 1926 Maughlin 164336 2,962,778 12/1960 Peak et al 164-156 132,329 10/ 1872 Smith et al. 164-336 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,293,067 4/ 1962 France.

J. SPENCER O'VERHOLSER, Primary Examiner.

R. D. BALDWIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN AN AUTOMATIC LADLING DEVICE, FOR USE IN TRANSFERRING MOLTEN METAL FROM A METAL BATH IN A HOLDING VESSEL TO A MOLD DISPOSED AT A DISTANCE FROM SAID HOLDING VESSEL AND AT A DIFFERENT EVOLUTION FROM THE LEVEL OF THE BATH IN SAID HOLDING VESSEL, THE COMBINATION OF A FRAME, A LADLE, TRANSPORT MEANS FOR SAID LADDLE COMPRISING A SUPPORT HORIZONTALLY MOVABLE ON SAID FRAME FOR TRANSPORTING SAID LADLE BETWEEN SAID BATH AND MOLD, A VERTICALLY MOVABLE TUBULAR PART SUPPORTED BY SAID SUPPORT AND INCLUDING A LOWER PORTION, SAID LADLE BEING TILTABLY CONNECTED TO SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID VERTICALLY MOVABLE TUBULAR PART, SAID LADLE INCLUDING A CLOSED HOLLOW BODY HAVING A METAL INTERCHANGE OPENING AND ANOTHER OPENING OPPOSITE THERETO, SAID OPENINGS REMAINING OPEN AT ALL TIMES, MOVING MEANS OPERABLE FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SAID TUBULAR PART AND THEREWITH SAID LADLE AND BEING OPERATIVE FOR LOWERING SAID LADLE INTO SAID METAL BATH, SAID LADLE AT LEAST DURING A PART OF ITS DESCENT INTO SAID METAL BATH BEING IN A FIRST TILTED POSITION FOR METAL CARRYING WHEREIN SAID OPENINGS ARE DISPOSED OPPOSITE EACH OTHER SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY, CONTROL MEANS COMPRISING A FLOAT CONNECTED TO SAID TUBULAR PART AND BEING OPERABLE TO MAKE CONTACT DURING ITS DESCENT WITH THE LEVEL OF SAID MOLTEN METAL IN SAID METAL BATH AND THEREUPON TO DE-ERERGIZE SAID MOTOR FOR HALTING SAID LOWERING MOVEMENT, AND TILTING MEANS BEING OPERABLE FOR TILTING SAID LADLE BETWEEN SAID FIRST TILTED POSITION AND A SECOND TILTED POSITION, FOR METAL INTERCHANGE, AT ABOUT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID FIRST TILTED POSITION AND IN WHICH THE METAL INTERCHANGE OPENING IS POSITIONED DOWNWARDLY, SAID TILTING MEANS INCLUDING A SHAFT VERTICALLY MOVABLE WITH, BUT ROTATABLE RELTIVE TO, SAID TUBULAR PART, GEARING BETWEEN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SHAFT AND SAID LADLE, A TUBULAR PROLONGATION SUPPORTED FROM SAID SUPPORT AND BEING RELATIVE THERETO NON-ROTATABLE AND IMMOVABLE VERTICALLY AND SURROUNDING THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID SHAFT AND HAVING A FIRST CAM SLOT INCLUDING AN UPPER NARROW PORTION AND A LOWER WIDE PORTION, A SLEEVE SURROUNDING SAID TUBULAR PROLONGATION AND BEING AXIALLY MOVABLE, THROUGH NON-ROTATABLE, RELATIVE THERETO AND HAVING A SECOND CAM SLOT INCLUDING A NARROW UPPER PORTION SIMILAR TO THAT OF SAID FIRST CAM SLOT AND A LOWER NARROW PORTION, SAID SHAFT INCLUDING A CAM FOLLOWER PIN PROTRUDING SIMULTANEOUSLY THROUGH BOTH SAID CAM SLOTS, SAID SECOND CAM SLOT OF SAID SLEEVE INCLUDING NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE NARROW PORTION AN INCLINED SECTION, AND MAGNETS POSITIONING ADJUSTABLY SAID SLEEVE ON SAID TUBULAR PROLONGATION OPERABLE FOR PLACING THE INCLINED SECTION OF SAID SECOND SLOT OF SAID SLEEVE IN FRONT OF A SELECTED PART OF SAID WIDE PORTION OF SAID FIRST SLOT OF SAID TUBULAR PROLONGATION FOR DETERMINING THE INSTANT OF TILTING OF SAID LADLE FROM SAID FIRST TO SAID SECOND, METAL INTERCHANGE, POSITION. 